Tribunal reserves order on defence medical services` top post

The Armed Forces Tribunal has
reserved its order in the matter relating to appointment for
the top post of medical arm of defence services amid a raging
tussle for the position between two Lieutenant Generals.

New Delhi: The Armed Forces Tribunal has
reserved its order in the matter relating to appointment for
the top post of medical arm of defence services amid a raging
tussle for the position between two Lieutenant Generals.

Lt Gen Pradeep Bhargava had approached the Tribunal
with a plea for quashing some recent changes made in the
Annual Confidential Report (ACR) of Lt Gen Naresh Kumar,
arguing that these would hurt his chances of heading the Armed
Forces Medical Services (AFMS).

Bhargava, Director General Hospital Services argued
that Kumar is junior to him and the changes made in his ACR
would make him senior and would be the front-runner for the
post of Director General Armed Forces Medical Services
(DGAFMS).

Bhargava is the senior-most officer in the Army
Medical Corps after the retirement of former Director General
Lt Gen Naresh Parmar on June 30.

Both Bhargava and Kumar were cleared for promotion
from Maj Gen to Lt Gen by a Selection Board in 2008 after
being rejected earlier in 2007.

After some of the gradings in Kumar`s ACR of 2005 were
expunged, he is likely to be considered for promotion under
the Selection Board held in 2007, which will make him senior
to Bhargava and would be front-runner for the post of DGAFMS.

After Bhargava filed his plea, the Tribunal had stayed
the appointment of DGAFMS and the post has been lying vacant
since July 1.

AFMS is a tri-service organisation and is directly
under the Defence Ministry.